Liam's Journeyman Hunt
Here comes the note dump Party is on Journeyman hunt to steal the heart of the garden from a Fey who is currently leading a hunt. The party is attacked by a giant fish, the river king. Orgteshu jets up to catch the fish. It opens its maw unnaturally wide and bites. Find the nest of the river king with fish bones piled high enough to touch the shores. Pixie investigates and thinks he sees something shiny. Orgteshu goes to help investigate the bones and finds metal bits around leg bones. The metal is iron with a blue sheen on it. Identified as steel with otter worked into it with 8 legs in a stylized knot work. Witch detects a faint blue aura on the bracelet. The witch puts it on to wear for awhile. Dirty man on bank long black hair with two white stripes. Long, clean fingernails. Clothes rough kept, green? He has lost his cat. Seemingly, lost, unsure. Man has been digging in the river. Possibly Gaelic. Pixie enters his memories. Sees the man and his cat, Otter, sleeping by the river. The man wakes up to a massive wave coming down the river, tearing his otter from him. No evidence of a recent flood, probably last summer at least. During the night, a black, furred creature charges out of the woods running on human arms with tall, curved horns. Roars back to the tiger. A flare from an imp reduces the darkness around it. At a shout of sunlight from Mimir, the creature turns to dust. Three dusty orbs are found in the gut of the creature. The orbs turn out to be will’o the wisps. Said “fear the dark”. Will o’ the wisps share more when next to each other. They had more, “They hunt the light”. “They hunt your light” “They hate the fire, They hunt the fire.” Shortly after setting out, the group encounters an empty village, Neolithic human settlement. Various things stored in the rooms. Orgteshu finds milk, not spoiled. Takes it out to the street. Find old leather, pottery, jars. All Souls Night. Irish traditional song Bintu and Liam had shared dream where Liam was searching for his wives Contract with a demon capable of making a portal in exchange for river king body. Went inland, found Scarabrea. Fresh milk and butter contained in ruins. Found a couple candles, a flint Athame and holly, horn, and worn staff, fleece. Bintu wearing otter anklet from River King horde Green aura on staff, though no aura shaping. Remnants of former owner kind shepherd. Tastes fairly recently used Went to shrine after Scarabrea, Liam prayed at stacked stones. Prayer sticks formed circle around center. Even insects left small offerings at the edge. Encountered wolves next. Surprisingly easy fight, wolves were exhausted. Left wolves food. Orgteshu smelled ozone during the day. Pixies attacked at night, collapsed into ash at death. Eventually coalesced into one entity, bound to Naelon for information gathering purposes. Will’o’wisps gathering as shadow things are killed. Investigating the captured pixies: Determining planar origins: An afterlife? No Elemental? No Native to Plane? Yes Connected to Naelon personally Fae? No Consume? Will’o’wisps either fighting light or as food source. Bintu makes anti-fear potion, 1 extra strength, 3 normal From camp, Liam finds trail leading down to river. Leads to beautiful site with calm waters caused by rocks under the water’s surface. Path picks up on the other side. Proceed in careful watch order. Come around towards a waterfall, find a cave obscured by the waterfall. Opens into a larger room, The Will’o’wisps provide some soft light. Bintu sees auric colors in a flat 3’ band of relief carvings in wall. Carvings of people going about their work. Druid over the door faces outward, everyone else faces to the side. Nealon describes a binding magic on the band. Bintu sees each figure as a different color, with strong aura like a person. Touches a green figure, a man carrying an ax and wood. Feels like stone, but a sense that the man is a family man, who enjoys festivals. Buildings match the style of Scarabrea. Druid has a purple aura, touches the aura, but doesn’t get aura impression. Carries a stone lantern and a wand. Find shepherd figure with green aura, staff and horn. Confirmed as the same shepherd. 30’ major axis, 10’ minor, 15’ domed roof door at the fat end. Far end has standing stones around it, no aura, all figures turned away. Blow the horn, auras flicker, some more than others, no color dependence. Small hole at focal point, smoothed stone around it. Holes connected to spell of binding (separate from relief). Place candles in holes light small fire with holly, berries and a drop of blood. Light with the athame and sword. Offer prayer to Danu. Druid’s eye gleams when candles are burning. Candles cast shadows on the figures, makes people look much more realistic than under wisp light. Lantern extends from the wall in actuality lantern is lit. Nealon starts singing all souls night at Orgteshu’s suggestion. Echoes sing along in an old Gaelic form. Bintu has seen a standing stone structure in the dream, but decrepit. Travel towards Fae encampment following the river. Woods less dense maybe, clearings every now and then. Camp near river, Nealon puts a protect from spirit ward around site. Liam’s “wife” steps out of the woods, Liam fires. Creature of ash with female top half with mouth in the chest. Snake like tail with shadowy hands protrudes. Ash pixie blasts gray light into the face of the Lamia figure. Cuts through the ward Nealon bolsters ward, figure is trapped in ward. Find 3 will’o’wisps orbs. Ash pixie also dissipates, no orbs within. (Likely consumed in bursts of dull grey light) Dark hair, pale skin, long hair tied back. Wearing black cloak with obsidian clasp. Leather wear under robes, much shorter than me, but feels as though looking down on Orgteshu. Accuses us of taking something from him. Talking about the wisps. Laid claim to his territory, in Scarabrea. Calls himself lord of night. Draws in the wisps against their wills. Also holding a light in his territory as an offense. Disappeared when Liam strikes the stone lantern. Cloak and brooch falls. Brooch carved of some black stone with geometric designs. A face with it’s eyes closed. Magic true aura yellow. Cloak does not let light out of it. Near invisible at night. Same yellow aura as at shrine with inverted candle. Resume moving along the river, up a slope. Encounter exhausted predators. Sleep on Island for the night. Nothing happens, weird. Set to arrive at the compound today. Bintu passes potions to all. 1 hp, 1 anti fear. Approach the palace from below, up the waterfall. Fey Fire 02/03 Stayed on island, 600yd to target. Target 50ft up, steep shore 1.5 km, other shore 3-4km. Large Creatures walking on colonnade, a short circuit for rotation. Guards are wooden, 3 of them, spaced pi/3 Nealon on Island, sees no tracks of animals, no good campsites. Sees a flat face on the rock, many trees. Big rocks, acting as retaining walls, the boulders have flat sides, and over grown. Estate Cantilevers over the cliff, waterfall comes from under the building. 50ft deep under the waterfall. The otter anklet likely causes Bintu to walk on water, ignore cold temp, add to hold breath. Can negate water walk. H2O group makes it to the base of the cliff takes 2 min. No issues Heart of the Garden is a 20’ silver oak with closely wrapped branches At the center of a labyrinth of grass. It shrinks when grabbed down to 12 ft pole with leaf pattern. A spriggan notices while maze running, begins attacking non-running group. Nealon summons portal demon, Orgteshu runs through with heart of the garden. Liam’s wrist is broken by a flying rock. Entire party makes it through the demon portal, just barely. Bintu perfectly bandages wrist, Liam begins rowing one handed, Orgteshu pulling. FeyFire 02/23 Date: March 21, 9999 Travel upstream immediately after Liam’s treatment. Nealon can’t take staff via GO HOME, will stay with the party. Travel first night until next night fall, then travel by days only. Black armor figure came out shouting about his father and hiding in a city. Armor constructed of twisting metal spirals. Allows for flexible armor and aesthetic. Nealon send TLP message to Liam’s sister at 1:30am “Tell Kunta, target identified us as from city. Think we have prize: coming home upriver, Liam” Camp on South side of river each night, Orgteshu sets lines. Nealon trances each day to stay up each night on guard. March 24: River splits; Orgteshu tastes each branch for human refuse both seem to contain refuse. South branch: silty, ice. Northern: salt, spring water. Take Southern/Left branch. Morning. Rain starts late in the afternoon comes up from the south. River widens into a lake and turns south as the foothills rise. Lights on the western shore. Spot a building .5k up river, forest is fond. And of inhabitants Man comes out of house, Ramsford, invites us to the house on the lake. Offers to help pack. Has an oilskin coat. 5’3” and a narrow canoe. Serves Illmenette, lord of these lands. Lives in the house. Watched lakes for 30 years. House has docks of boats, most small, light craft. House is much large than appeared. Greeted by servant, Fey. Instructed to have lesser creatures go to the left. Bintu admitted to main house, Naelon admitted to lesser being’s door. Orgteshu at the left door. Liam at center, tiger and snake at left. All enter into the same long front hall. Green cravat —> red cravat for inner door. -> black cravat and jacket. Peace tie the snake, take weapons, declaw/fang tiger. Admitted to large, empty room. Go through next door into a room with green marble floor. Other servants appear, dressed similarly. Neckpiece different colors. Take measurements of Orgteshu and Naelon. Bintu and Liam go ahead, into dining room with table set for 9. Orgteshu and Naelon get tailored jackets, then head to dining table. 4 fey enter, not bearing weapons. Liam Iselle sets across from Liam. Comments on interesting dishes and guests. Flourienne in flower print dress, maybe liked by octopus. Across from Naelon. Hercule across from Orgteshu. Debates fresh rain with Flourienne. Illmenette enters last, all stand to greet him. Violette across from Bintu. Served heads made of bread, Liam asked to start the course. Offered rooms, all stay in the same room. Lord offers Bintu a gift: a quarter sized golden medallion with flower petal engravings. Orgteshu makes friends with the Naiad, will stay with Liam. Arrive at Lateutalleu on March 28. Town received message to increase the guard. Go to hunt master/sponsor’s house. Accepts the heart of the Garden for a successful hunt. Very disturbing response. His house is a house of Shadow and Dust. Goes back through October for sessions